This invention relates to an electrical connector. More particularly, it relates to a connector for attaching an electrical cord to an electrical appliance, which connector includes an ejector by which it and the cord may be detached from the appliance.
Electrical appliances having detachable cords are well known. One advantage of such an appliance is that once the appliance is electrically activated, the cord can be detached therefrom and the appliance can be moved about freely and used without being restricted by the cord. However, certain appliances, particularly those having an outer cover made of metal, may become hot when electrically activated. To remove the cord from such an appliance is difficult without touching it. Also, when using certain electrical appliances, such as a heated hair drying cap, the user may not have one hand free to hold the cap while disconnecting the cord therefrom with another free hand.
Thus, it is desirable to equip an electrical cord with an electrical connector that can be detached from an appliance without touching the appliance and with one hand. The connector of the present invention solves these problems because it can be operated with one hand by application of finger pressure on the ejector of the connector.
Ejectors for use with electrical connectors are known. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,900,782; 2,051,425; 2,134,345; 2,142,184, 2,703,869; and 3,440,405 disclose electrical connectors having ejectors which operate on a cam principle. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,531,604; 2,259,799; 2,445,608; and 3,737,623 disclose bar or plunger operated ejectors. U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,273 discloses a spring operated ejector for an electrical connector. Other state of the art patents known to the applicants herein are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,926,230; 3,417,214; 3,573,695; and 3,587,021.
Two ejectors of this invention are cam operated. A third ejector herein is operated on the "hinge" principle described in detail below. Such ejectors do not have the same construction nor operate in the same manner as do the prior art ejectors mentioned above.